Import Manager

Location: Heathrow Area
Salary: Up to £75,000 + Excellent Benefits

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join a well-established, international logistics and freight forwarding business as an Import Operations Manager. This is a senior leadership position where you'll take ownership of a high-performing import function across air, sea and road freight, leading a large operational team while driving service excellence, operational performance and customer satisfaction.

This role is ideal for an experienced freight forwarding professional looking to step into a business where you'll have genuine influence, autonomy and the opportunity to shape the future of the operation.

You'll oversee a department of 20 indirect reports and 4 direct reports, taking responsibility for operational delivery, financial performance and the continued development of a talented team.

Reporting into senior leadership, you'll be responsible for ensuring import operations run efficiently, compliantly and profitably across all transport modes. You'll play a key role in driving operational improvements, strengthening customer relationships and delivering exceptional service levels while supporting the ongoing growth of the business.

This is a business that genuinely invests in its people, embraces innovation and has an excellent reputation within the freight forwarding market. You'll be joining a collaborative leadership team with ambitious growth plans and the backing of a highly successful global organisation.

• Lead, coach and develop the import department, creating a high-performance culture focused on engagement, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Oversee end-to-end import operations across air, ocean and road freight, ensuring all shipments are handled efficiently and compliantly.
• Manage customs processes in line with UK regulations and recognised compliance standards.
• Take ownership of departmental performance, including budgets, productivity and P&L.
• Monitor operational KPIs, identifying trends and implementing improvements to enhance service delivery.
• Act as the senior escalation point for operational, customer and customs-related issues.
• Build strong relationships with customers, carriers, overseas partners and internal stakeholders.
• Support the successful implementation of new customer accounts and operational transitions.
• Develop robust SOPs, improve processes and identify opportunities to increase efficiency and profitability.
• Work closely with commercial and senior leadership teams to support business growth and customer retention.

We're looking for a confident operational leader with a strong background in freight forwarding and import operations.

You'll ideally have:

• Significant experience managing import operations within a freight forwarding or logistics environment.
• Strong knowledge of air, sea and road freight.
• A solid understanding of UK customs procedures and import compliance.
• Previous experience managing large operational teams, with a passion for developing people.
• Commercial awareness with experience managing departmental budgets and P&L.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• A proactive approach to problem solving and continuous improvement.
• The ability to lead through change while maintaining exceptional customer service standards.

• Salary of up to £75,000
• Car allowance
• Private healthcare
• Annual bonus opportunity
• Enhanced pension
• Generous annual leave allowance
• Life assurance
• Hybrid working flexibility
• Ongoing professional development and leadership training
• The opportunity to join a financially secure, globally recognised logistics organisation with genuine long term career progression.